Kite Flying Can Be Addictive

We've all seen them. We have all even thought about the fun the flyers seem to be having so lets join them.

There is no better way to enjoy flying a kite than to make your own and watch it fly for the first time. Get your kids involved as well as the fresh air and fun with your children are rewards on their own. The joy on your kids faces makes it all worth while so don't make excuses ... make a kite!

Kite making has been around for hundreds of years and the principles are the same today and not too hard to master. Making your own kite with your children then flying your creation is an experience all parents should try but as I said, it can become addictive.

The basic design we all know is the best starter and easiest to make. It is simply just a cross of sticks with supports and the whole covered in paper or very light material. To try to describe the methods of kite making without diagrams is not too easy so if you want to see instructions with diagrams take a look at my Outdoor Kids Fun site.

Using split bamboo canes for the ribs etc. makes life easy but ,PLEASE PARENTS, do the splitting for your kids and don't leave them with a knife to do it themselves. The backbone of the kite is best made from a piece of flat, straight grained wood not too thick as weight is very important here. Light weight paper or a fine silk like material is best as the material will outlast the paper especially if it gets wet.

Flying your new creation is the best part and great fun. Your children will have a great time, as will you, and as your kite gets higher your thoughts turn to the 'man thing' ... can I make it bigger and fly higher ... and even bigger still ....

Stunt kites are another name for sport kites

Sport kites attract more people and more
competition held in many countries.

Stunt kites are another name for sport kites. Stunt kites can be seen in kite competitions, where the scoring is similar to skating. Competitors are judged in performances that include ‘ballet’. Team flying is easily the most aesthetic and spectacular form of competition, with eight pilots and kites flying within inches of one another, all the while performing formations and figures in the air. There are several national and international competitions. There is even a yearly World Championship.

The American Kitefliers Association (AKA) is the top organization for sport kite competitions in the US. Competition winners from different states and regions assemble annually for the national championships.

The most common design for a sports kite is a somewhat triangular ""delta"" shape, with two lines used for control. Normally, these kites are made from lightweight nylon, with spars structured from carbon fiber tubing. The strings are prepared from braided Spectra which are extremely light, do not stretch and stay slick even when wrapped several times. For control, the pilot uses the right hand line to turn right and the left hand line to turn left. Using different combinations of pushes and pulls, intricate patterns can be flown. These include turns, landings and loops, and other spectacular maneuvers.

Some pilots fly ""quad-line"" kites, or four-line kites, that are controlled by a pair of handles. Each handle has two lines that are fastened and connected to the kite at the top and bottom. The pilot uses the lower line to control the kite’s direction. Expert use of these handles enables a quad-line kite to execute maneuvers that are impossible with two-line kites. Distinctive quad-line maneuvers include axis spins, reverse flight, hovers, etc.